novelraw Chapter 430 - 429: They Have No Other Choice
Chapter 430 - 429: They Have No Other Choice
The Clan Leader of the Saber-toothed Tiger Clan sneered, "So, you’re saying none of us are leaving today? In that case, I’d like to see if your Underground Yecheng City can truly blot out the sky over Guangshou City!"
As he spoke, he shifted into his Beast Form and let out a furious roar. The sound of the tiger’s cry was earsplitting and terrifying in the poorly ventilated confines of Underground Yecheng City.
Tigers are the kings of the forest, feared by many beasts. Even though Beastmen had gained sentience, this primal, instinctive fear still made their legs go weak.
The Beastmen beside him also shifted into their Beast Forms, one after another. They were all massive and powerful, baring sharp, chillingly white fangs, their eyes burning with a savagery that seemed capable of devouring everything.
It wasn’t just them. The Jin Family of the Lion Clan, kings of the prairie; the White Wolf Clan; the Clump-tailed Rabbit Clan; the Iron-eating Beast Clan; the Mountain Demon Clan; the Tongdong Tribe; the Gumeng Tribe; the Hua Zhao Tribe; and even the Three-tailed Blue Fox Clan Members mixed in among them—all radiated a palpable battle lust and fury, sharp as unsheathed blades.
"As it happens, we were originally going to let this go, to swallow this silent suffering. But now, you’ve forced our hand. We will make you pay for the pain you’ve inflicted on our kin..."
"Brothers! We came to Underground Yecheng City to save our kin, fully prepared to die! But if we can live, who would choose to have their corpses fed to Wild Beasts, or be captured and humiliated?"
"If we don’t carve a bloody path out of here today, we’ll be trapped in this place forever, never to see the light of day again! The pain our kin endured will be inflicted upon us next!"
"This place is a disgrace to all Beastmen! They are no longer worthy of the name, tormenting their own kind! How are they any different from shameless, unfeeling Wild Beasts?"
These words riled the Beastmen up even more. Before entering Underground Yecheng City, they had already understood the gravity of the situation. It was do or die; they had no other choice.
Seeing the oppressive aura of the Beastmen coalesce until it was nearly suffocating, Ni Jing hurriedly said, "What is all this? We never said you couldn’t leave. It’s just... those who have been registered as slaves must remain.
"The rest of you can still return, safe and sound. There’s no need to throw your lives away just to break the rules our ancestors have obeyed for generations..."
"Pah!" a Hippo Beastman roared. "You of the Golden Python Clan are always full of pretty words! Aren’t you just afraid you can’t beat us if we stand together, so you want to send us away first?"
"We came to Underground Yecheng City to rescue our kin. If you want us to give up now, we might as well not have come at all! We’re not afraid to die! As long as we can protect our families and break through your siege, who cares if we perish? Worst case, we’ll take a few of you bastards down with us, and it’ll still be a service to the Beastmen of Guangshou City!"
"That’s right! Don’t let them deceive you! We’ve all come this far. If we don’t rescue our kin and deal these people a heavy blow, an even more miserable future will be waiting for us!"
"Kill their leaders! Without them, Underground Yecheng City will fall apart!"
Someone let out a yell, and the crowd charged toward Ni Jing and his men. The ground began to tremble. For a second, Ni Jing’s group was dumbfounded, then they immediately turned and fled.
’These people are insane!’ They were like the blood-crazed Wild Beasts in a Beast Tide, having lost all reason. The sheer size of the swarming crowd was enough to break anyone’s nerve, leaving no will to fight back!
Ni Jing and his party were very familiar with Underground Yecheng City, so they immediately made for the secret doors and private entrances.
The Beastmen thundered past in a stampede, making the very earth tremble. Dust and crumbling bits of weathered stone rained down from the ceiling.
Ji Liang narrowed his eyes and turned to Xu Chi, giving an urgent command. "Xu Chi, take the female and the cubs and get them out of here! At this rate, I’m afraid Underground Yecheng City is going to collapse."
Si Shuo, Xu Chi, Gong You, Xiao Cheng, Yin Jiang, and Wei Ce had all been cracking their knuckles, eager to jump into the fray, and hadn’t even considered the possibility that Underground Yecheng City might collapse.
Wei Ce clenched his fists and let out a cold laugh. "Even if it doesn’t collapse, we should do something to make sure this Underground Yecheng City won’t be getting back on its feet anytime soon!"
Gong You and Yin Jiang were also raring to go. "Count us in!"
"Brother Xu Chi, you take Sister and go back. We’ll talk later," Xiao Cheng said, stepping forward to hug Si Shuo and nuzzling her neck. "Sister, just wait for us at home, okay?"
Si Shuo knew Underground Yecheng City had descended into chaos. The thick scent of blood filled her nostrils. Not wanting to cause any more trouble, she simply nodded and urged them to be careful.
The male cubs went with their respective Fathers to gain experience, while Ji Liang sent Si Shuo, Xu Chi, and the female cubs back to the valley.
Si Shuo was worried sick. She paced in circles inside their cave, trailed by a line of female cubs.
Xu Chi found it amusing. He swept her into his embrace and said to the cubs, "Don’t be like your Mother. Hurry and get some sleep, or you’ll never grow big and strong!"
Giggling, the female cubs scattered. They leaped from the cave, scrambled up a tree, and scurried toward their treehouse.
A golden eagle and a Snowy Owl hovered in the air nearby, guarding them, afraid one of the female cubs might fall.
"Worried, A shuo?" Seeing that two flying male cubs were watching over the females, Xu Chi relaxed. He sat on the platform before the cave, activated the Protective Shield, and pulled Si Shuo into his arms with a soft chuckle.
"Yes. The Beastmen in Underground Yecheng City have no humanity. They’ve also raised a lot of War Slaves. If a real fight breaks out, there’s no telling who will win."
"Xu Chi, are we doing the right thing? Ye City has existed for so long. It’s a cancer on Beast City, and cutting it out will be a painful, crippling process. I can’t imagine how many Beastmen will have to be sacrificed." Si Shuo bit her lip, resting her chin on his shoulder and gently nuzzling his neck with her forehead.
Xu Chi gently stroked her head. "A shuo, Underground Yecheng City has been lurking beneath Guangshou City for a very long time. As you said, this cancer is just growing larger. If we let it continue, it will eventually swallow up the surface Beast City as well. Their actions have grown more and more brazen lately; relatives of important people from many clans and tribes have been kidnapped."
"This fight was bound to happen sooner or later. We’ve just lanced the boil ahead of schedule."
"Those Beastmen went in prepared to rescue their kin. They have numbers on their side, so they can surely end this conflict with minimal sacrifices."
"Don’t dwell on it so much. Get some sleep. I’ll make you all something delicious in a little while."
But how could Si Shuo possibly sleep? Xu Chi simply swept her up into his arms. "Since you can’t sleep, I’ll help you burn off some energy, A shuo!"
Si Shuo glared at him, her face flushing red. As he’d intended, she could no longer think about the events in Underground Yecheng City. "Xu Chi, you’ve gotten so naughty."
Xu Chi nibbled at her neck and chuckled. "A shuo, I may not be as perceptive as my brothers, but I’m no fool. Besides, I know you like it when I’m bad. The naughtier I am, the more you like it..."
Si Shuo quickly covered his mouth. ’When this Deer decided to be suggestive, he went way too fast for her; it was making her head spin.’
Xu Chi successfully tired his little female out until she fell into a deep sleep. He kissed her, his expression placid.
’Today, in Underground Yecheng City, he had seen five of his own clansmen. All traces of resentment were gone from them. They were simply being kept, numb and penned like livestock...’